Zone Revision Could Attract Wineries, Breweries to Redmond

Wineries and breweries in Redmond’s manufacturing area can put in more seating for tasting and tap rooms as they grow, under a recent zoning change that could spur expansion in the local industry.

The change eliminates an arbitrary cap on seating at businesses such as , allowing them the flexibility to expand their retail businesses as they grow, said Pete Sullivan, a senior planner for the city.

In fact, it was a query by Black Raven owner Beaux Beauman that inspired the discussion in the city’s planning department, Sullivan said. Black Raven had sought a permit to add a second bar at its facility, and though the now-completed expansion still leaves it well below the previous 100-seat cap, Beauman said the limitation had him thinking about whether it made sense for the quickly growing company to continue to base its operations in Redmond.

“We were looking at that as a real drawback to be staying in Redmond,” said Beauman, adding that the change is reassuring as he looks at future expansion at the brewery's location on Northeast 95th Street.

The code revision, approved Jan. 18 with a 4-3 City Council vote, now allows wineries and breweries that occupy more than 6,000 square feet in the manufacturing zone to have seating for retail customers in up to 25 percent of their facility, the maximum allowed by fire codes. Operations with less than 6,000 square feet of floor space are still limited to 100 seats.

Sullivan said the change is a nod to the future, as the wineries and breweries now in Redmond’s manufacturing zone fall below the 6,000-square-foot threshold. It could entice additional businesses to Redmond as wineries with tasting rooms in nearby cities such as Woodinville gain in popularity, he said.

“We could be on the brink of something exciting here in Redmond. What if the city becomes a nexus for a new economic tourism model for the long term? We could be positioning ourselves well,” Sullivan said.

At 6,400 square feet since its addition, Black Raven could benefit from the zoning change, but it doesn’t have specific plans for further expansion, Beauman said. It now has seating in its taprooms for 77 patrons, up from 44, and it would be some time before it exceeded the 100-seat mark.

“It’s a more long-term consideration for us,” he said.

Council members who opposed the change expressed concerns about eroding the manufacturing zone and losing some of that land to more retail uses, Sullivan said. But the switch doesn’t change the allowable uses in the zone, he said, and businesses such as Black Raven maintain a primarily manufacturing business there.

“We’re looking to the future and trying to attract more businesses like that,” Sullivan said.